Contacting 9-1-1 just got easier for some Pennsylvania residents. Montgomery County is adding "text to 911" capabilities to its 9-1-1 system.
The service, which will launch at a press conference July 20, will allow those who are hearing or speaking impaired to contact 9-1-1 in a more productive way.
The service also gives people a silent and covert way to communicate with authorities, which could prove useful during break-ins, among other scenarios.
Montgomery County Commissioners will demonstrate the system at 10 a.m. Monday at a press conference at the county's Department of Public Safety headquarters in Eagleville.
"Texting during an emergency could be helpful if you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, or if a voice call to 9-1-1 might otherwise be dangerous or impossible, but if you are able to make a voice call to 9-1-1, and if it is safe to do so, you should always make a voice call to 9-1-1," the Federal Communications Commission said on their website.
The commissioners will be joined by a representative from an advocate organization for the deaf and by representatives of organizations who work with victims of domestic abuse, according to a press release.